


Inky Conscience

by SpiritofSands



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: F/F, F/M, Mild Gore, Possessive Behavior, Reader is gender neutral, Violence, reader is kind of yandere, reader is made of ink, takes places before and during BATIM
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28137126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritofSands/pseuds/SpiritofSands
Summary: You don't know how you got here. You were just. There. Drifting in the swirling darkness.Until you met H I M.
Relationships: Sammy Lawrence/Reader, Susie Campbell/Sammy Lawrence
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	1. How you met. Kind of.

You don't remember how you got here, in this swirling pitch of darkness, you just. Existed. Not that you would know, you were completely confused, cold, and empty. But it didn't last long when your virgin senses, mainly the ears, picked up something you had never heard of before.  
It was a strange sound, different sounds forming some kind of pattern that repeated every now and then, but it definitely calmed you. It made the place feel less lonely.  
You continued to listen to the lovely noise until you fell unconscious.

The next time you woke up, it was to the sound of voices, two different tones that seemed to be speaking to each other. And they were nothing like the noises coming from this darkness you were in.  
One sounded high. Too loud. But the other one was, low, soft, and warm enough that you could almost wrap it around your conscience ready for your next awakening.  
And then the first sound you heard before began to make itself known, but it was different this time. A different rhythm with new sounds you had never heard before. It didn't matter though, you still loved it.  
And you wanted more. You wanted to hear more of this lovely sound, you wanted it to fill the silence that you were constantly stuck in. But first, sleep, you were getting tired.

Time never seemed to change where you were, all you remembered was waking up and finding yourself no longer in the strange, swirling darkness. Instead, you found yourself on something, different. Everything was too bright for your sensitive eyes, you didn't like it, you wanted to back in the dark. It wasn't nice.  
You tried to fall back asleep, but the new place along with the pain of the light was too much and caused you to panic. Where was the lovely sound that made you sleepy? Where were you? Why couldn't you go back? You just wanted to go back to the darkness.  
Not to mention the strange pressure that was pushing from behind you, you tried to ignore it as you tried to calm your rushing senses. Brightness aside, there were strange creatures walking past you, but not seeing you.  
"Morning Sammy, had a good night?"  
A growl was heard, but it wasn't you.  
"Never mind then, oh, before I forget, I got those frames ready for you to look at"  
"About damn time"  
You perked up as you listened to the voices more, one of them was definitely the voice you had heard before when you were in the darkness. And considering it was making the same noises as it moved away, it didn't take you long to figure out where to go next.  
There was only one problem, this strange force was keeping you from getting closer to the lovely voice creature. You had to follow the flow and hope you would find the creature before you fell back into the darkness.  
The problem lied in the flow, it was moving at such a fast paste that you had a hard time trying to stay in the sight of the creature. Sometimes it disappeared behind another force and other times you would find yourself waiting to see whether or not the creature went somewhere else.  
But. You persevered. And soon found yourself watching him walk into some strange portal and appeared to be resting on a strange object. You let out a garbled noise of triumph. You let out another noise of triumph when you realised you could be on the same side of the portal the creature was in while it rested.  
You were a little disappointed when you didn't hear any of that lovely music, but you didn't mind, you found the soft voice that helped you sleep and feel warm. It was enough for now. And besides, if the creature was resting, then it should do that, you don't want him to wear down and be unable to make the other lovely sound.  
It was no different to you moving through this gooey substance and needing to rest, especially when you were fighting a force that was going in the oppisite direction as you.  
So you stayed there, you don't know how long, but you stayed there, watching the lovely voice creature make those lovely 'hmm' noises as well as 'tap-tap' sounds. Personally, the 'hmm' noise was better, it made you feel funny and tired.  
Sadly though, the moment the creature got up and made his way to the strange portal, you began to feel the coldness, you fought against the force pushing you away from the creature, you fought your hardest to cling to the warmth that was slowly leaving you. You were getting tired. Why were you so tired when you had so much energy before?  
"Good night Sammy"  
"When it comes to Joey, I never get any"  
Your last thought and vision were of the lovely voice going through another portal before the darkness took over.

_"Morning, early as usual Sammy?"_  
_"Shut up, Wally"_  
_"Hi to you too"_  
More sounds, warmth, and that lovely warm voice. But where was it coming from? It was too dark, where was the light from last time?  
_"The day Joey stops harassing me is when hell freezes over"_  
_"If such a day does happen, I'm buying you a whole box of cigars, good luck Sammy"_  
_"As if I need luck"_  
_"When it comes to Joey? You need all the luck you can get"_  
_"Point taken"_  
THERE! the light was right in front of you. You forced all of your will power to reach it...  
And found yourself back in the portal place where the creature last rested. But this time, it had something close to itself. It was a strange-looking object, a round shape with a thick line coming out of it. Then there were the thin-looking lines connected from both shapes and tiny looking shapes coming out of the thick line.  
"Alright, test time, let's hope there aren't any more distractions _this_ time Joey"  
Tesss-t? What was that?  
You continued to observe the creature as it shifted. And then you heard it.  
Do, do, do-di. Do, do, do-di. Di, di, di-do  
It was that strange sound you had heard before while you were drifting. But it didn't sound as loud as before. Maybe it needed more of these things to make it louder? No matter, you got your wish to hear the lovely sound.  
You continued to watch the creature's hidden form with the warmth filling you to the point you felt like you were floating in the swirling darkness again. You could get used to this. And you still felt the warmth long after the creature left through the portals.  
You hadn't realised you had been smiling the entire time.


	2. The Calm During The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Observing, learning. S0m3th1ng's Wr0ng...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS FLOWERS! sorry about the chapter thing, I made a mistake and used a slightly older version (i think XD)

It became a routine after that. You would 'wake up' to the sound of the soft and warm sound, followed it into its resting place among the portals, then spend the rest of the time listening to the 'hmm' noises and the occasional 'do-di'. You never grew tired of it.  
And you even learned some new words when other creatures came through to communicate with your warm voice creature. But you were still confused about what some of them meant, let alone how to pronounce them. So you continued to just listen to the 'hmm' sound instead.  
At some point though, you were surprised to see the creature get up from its resting place and leave through the portal and down a different tunnel than the one you were used to seeing it use.  
And so, like many times before. You followed the creature down the new tunnel. And was greeted to a new portal of a whole different world.  
You couldn't see much, but from what little you could tell, this portal was larger than any other portal you had come across. There were resting places along with a strange looking item against the edge of the side of the portal. Could it be another one of the strange sounds? What did they call it again? Moo-sic? Song? Something like that.  
If this was true, then you were certainly looking forward to hearing more of the moo-sic.  
"You know the drill by now, practice first, then performance" you heard the soft and warm voice say, although it didn't sound warm this time, it felt colder, why though?  
There was a strange tapping sound, silence. And then you felt it, you heard it. It was the sound from before when you first woke up. Kind of. It was different before and there was a strange 'squeak' noise. Then the moo-sic stopped.  
"Why didn't you test the instrument BEFORE I came in" your tunnel felt warmer than this.  
"I did, I don't know why it's squeaking" a lighter sound replied.  
"Everyone, re-test your equipment before we try this out, I don't want any faffing about" you were certain you heard a low 'you should know this by now'.  
As much as you wanted to stay there and wait, you did not like the idea of being around so many of those creatures. What if they saw you? What if they started to crowd around you?  
You may love the sounds but you did not want to listen to the words that didn't sound nice, worse than they were cold and heartless. It was beginning to get overwhelming.  
"THAT WAS ALL WRONG! DO IT AGAIN!"  
You flinched and moved away, deciding it was best to just observe the other creatures. Hopefully, this would teach you more about these creatures' behavior, and help you calm down from that little problem.  
You should have paid attention to the pressure around you.

You decided to look around the portal area that your soft and warm (not right now though) voice creature would leave through. This place was quiet with the creatures resting and doing. Something. On white objects, and wherever they touched it, a black line would be left in its place. There was also the occasional sound of the creatures communicating with each other.  
It was so strange to see this, it certainly wasn't like the other place with the moo-sic.  
And thanks to the many tunnels that were surrounding this portal, you had no problems observing the creatures below you. You watched the creatures, you observed others.  
It may not have been the place you were interested in. But it was something. At least until the main portal opened to reveal a very loud and energetic creature that made your portal and the moo-sic place feel warmer.  
"Good afternoon everyone, how are the episodes coming along?"  
"Same as last time sir, progress and should be on time provided we don't have any distractions" someone replied.  
"Of course, of course" that sound made your existence want to freeze in place.  
"How was the meeting, by the way, Mr. Drew?"  
"Progress is being made, but they are being very stubborn, keep smiling though, we'll get there" the creature started moving "please don't come into my office unless it's an emergency" and then it disappeared.  
What was strange though, was that the moment that loud voice creature left, the other creatures, who had been neutral, immediately went rude and hissed things that made you shiver and cringe.  
You briefly thought that it could just be because that creature was being loud, darkness knows you might have done that as well.  
When they began to speak low to the point that you couldn't hear them, you left them and went to another part of the portals area. A place that had more communication about. Fray-ms? Sket-ch? Im-age? They must have been referring to the black stuff they were using on the white object.  
You stayed there, watching from inside your tunnel, learning words, testing them inside your mind, and long till it was time for all the creatures to leave. But this time, you didn't rest. Instead, you felt more awake, more alert. This certainly never happened before. So why now?  
Mentally humming, you began to focus on the sensation. But there wasn't any focus point, it was stretched everywhere... wait. Stretched out. Long tunnel...

 _Door/door frame._  
_Room. Corridor._  
_Human. People. Joey Drew. Susie Campbell. Norman Poke._  
_Sketching/drawing. Frames. Boris. Alice Angel._  
_Bendy the Dancing Demon._  
_S A M M Y L A W R E N C E._  
_Sammy. Sammy. Sammy. Warm and soft voice._  
_M U S I C._  
_Banjo_  
_Drum_  
_Bass_  
_Violin_  
_Piano_  
_Guitar_  
_I N K. MA C H I N E. I N K. E V E R Y. W H E R E. S T U D I O._  
_Names. Name. Name. W H A T I S M Y N A M E ?!_

You scream.  
The pipes shook and rattle. Ink dripping in certain parts of the studio.  
The machine stays silent and still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it, also sorry for the rush at the end, I would not have the mental will power to keep the reader in their 'firstborn' state. And there isn't much you missed anyway, just them learning words but not what the objects were.  
> Next chapter, we're getting into the good stuff. But please note that it will be a while before we get to the 'game' part of the story. Gotta set the scene and all that.  
> And as you can see. The crap is going down.


	3. A Shift In The Studio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy finds out someone or something has dared his wrath.

Sammy had been the type of human to never leave things unfinished. He was a perfectionist to a fault and hated things being thrown at him at the last minute.  
So when he walked into the studio and found the place covered in ink stains, both floor and walls. You could tell he was already in a bad mood, if the frustrated and confused look was anything to go by.  
"What the hell?" he muttered.  
"Hey Sammy, are you going to move or what?"  
Sammy just moved back for the singer, Susie Campbell, to move first. She did a similar reaction. Except it was only shock.  
"What happened here?" she asked, most likely to herself since Sammy would always give a sarcastic comment "did someone forget to turn the machine off last night?"  
"Either that, or Tom and Wally didn't check the pipes and forgot to clean up" Sammy replied.  
"Wally isn't going to be happy about this"  
"Wally is never happy about anything" Sammy groaned quietly "and I just got these shoes cleaned"  
"Well suck it up hot shot, we need to get moving" Susie patted his back before walking into the studio without a care that her shoes would get ink stains on them.  
"Wally will be needing to clean the music department after this" Sammy muttered as he walked glumly to his office.  
It didn't stop the feeling of someone watching him though. And that the pipes would need looking into since there seemed to be banging noises coming from them.  
Just another day at Joey Drew Studios.  
Sighing in exhaustion at the already tiring day ahead of him. He held onto his briefcase and banjo tightly as he walked into his office. Only to drop them in shock when he saw what was on HIS wall in HIS office.  
'Y O U P L A Y B E A U T I F U L L Y'  
Someone had written that sentence like a 5 year old kid. How the hell did someone get in here during the night? Joey Drew may walk in unannounced from time to time, but even he knew when to leave well enough alone. And nobody in the music department dared to come in unless they really needed to. Even Wally didn't dare come in, especially if he lost his keys.  
So then who the hell could it be? Children were not allowed in the studio, and the people working here had at least some decent handwriting that it wouldn't look like a child had done it.  
"I don't have time for this" he muttered angrily as he picked up his case and banjo, moved inside the office to kick the door shut, and practically slammed his backside on the seat along with his briefcase.   
He would get Wally to clean the wall up later, he needed to get this music done as soon as possible. Pity it wasn't Christmas as it would have made things more easier for him. Kind of.  
"Filthy ink" he muttered as he lifted the banjo to see if he had damaged it.  
When he saw no markings, he quickly checked the strings. Still nothing, even when he plucked them. Mentally sighing in relief, he carefully placed the banjo on the floor next to his desk. Then he opened up the case to grab his music sheets. Trying to ignore the sensation of being watched.  
No one was outside his office. He was alone in his sanctuary. He was fine.  
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.  
Or not. He had jolted in his seat and looked out his window to see if anyone was there. There wasn't any.  
Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap. Tap. Tap  
The tapping stopped. But where had it come from?  
"It has to be the ink fumes" Sammy muttered "this studio is starting to get to you Sammy"  
He kept this mantra going as he continued his work. It was slower than what he was used to, but it was better than remembering that strange thumping noise. Plus needing the wall to be cleaned. He had a hard time trying to forget about HOW it got there in the first place.   
And speaking of cleaning, where was Wally anyway? Wonky and badly written aside, it was large enough that anyone could see it outside of his office.  
"Uh Sammy? You do realise the ink is meant to go on paper and not the walls. Right?"  
Speak of the devil.  
"I didn't write that, Wally" Sammy replied as he tried to get his frustration in check, placing his pen down and slowly turning his chair around as if trying to be dramatic "someone else did"  
Wally looked at him in confusion and, was that worry? "Last I checked, you never let anyone inside of here unless it's important, or for me to clean up"  
"And I know you'd rather tell a dirty secret about yourself before even trying anything in my workspace" he jerked his thumb towards the wall "yet someone doesn't seem to think that, and unless you forgot your keys again for the front door, then someone came in during the night to mock me"  
"I doubt anyone would come here just to make fun of you" Wally shifted nervously "but I can ask around if it helps"  
Probably for the best, Wally maybe stupid at times but he had better social skills than Sammy ever did. Meetings? Give him the time and date and he would be ready and waiting for whatever bull crap was being made. Small talk? You had a better chance at talking to Bendy.  
"Don't come back until you get an answer" was all Sammy said before turning back to his desk, signalling the end of the conversation.  
His answer was that of a door closing shut. Finally. Silence.   
And it stayed like that long till it was time to go home. He got no word from Wally but word had spread around the departments about someone vandalizing his wall. Just what he needed. Another distraction.  
Wally better have that thing cleaned by tomorrow or he was outta here.

He's here. He's finally here. Now you don't have to listen to the voices anymore. Music helps. It always helps.  
You were certain this was what happiness felt like. It was hard to tell since you felt like you were every where in the studio yet inside Sammy's Office at the same time.  
It was certainly disconcerting, especially from how you. Evolved for lack of a better word. One moment you were just a pea with a conscience in the swirl of inky looking tunnel. The next you had all these new words, what objects were, even the humans names. It was so overwhelming that it would have made you dizzy if you had a head.  
But where were you? Ah yes. Following Sammy. The charming musician. Cute too. No. Handsome.  
You remembered his face when he opened the front door to find the inky stains you had left when the pipes burst. Not your best moment but you tried your hardest so the others would have less hassle for later.  
It was the correct thing to do after all. You had made a mess, it was your responsibility to clean it up. This might even get you bonus points with Sammy. He seems to like competent people when he isn't living in solitude.  
Still, if you could have a moment of silence without these strange voices whispering to you then you might have liked the quietness too.  
The moment Sammy walked off towards his department, you quickly 'ran' towards him, yes you could have just waited for him inside his office, but it was so nice to see him walk. His posture, his expression.  
Dat Ass.  
You were pretty sure you were walking on. What was the expression humans used? Oh yeah? Cloud 9. Or floating, but technically you were already floating in this ink pipe.  
Pity you couldn't get out of this. Yet.  
And you were slightly upset that Sammy didn't like your message. It had been so difficult not to make a mess, and ask the ink to write it. Not your best attempt but it was something. Not to mention the tapping you had done. Purely by accident of course, you hadn't noticed it until he looked in your direction.  
No matter, you had time. you had plenty of time to make him notice you. Perhaps you could try observing the music department, learn the ways of music, or listen to Sammy to help him with his music. that should give you points with him. Right?  
Perfect.  
You like that word. Muuuuuusic. Saaaaaaammmmmy. Such looooooovely woooooords.  
 **Sammy Lawrence. You will set me free.**


	4. Desecration Leads To Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy was used to seeing f*cked up things when working with Drew, but this was a whole new level of f*cked up sh*t than what he was used to.  
> Especially when Joey wouldn't believe him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know I said to someone that it was coming out on January 1st. Yeah. I decided against it. HAPPY NEW YEAR/EVE EVERYONE!  
> let's end this crappy year with a BANG, shall we? ;)

When Sammy had left the studio, Wally had managed to clean the ink off the wall without any problems. So you can imagine his surprise when he went back in the next day to find another message written in the same place as before.  
And Wally had remembered to lock the door and keep his keys on him.  
**I HOPE YOU HAVE A LOVELY AND QUIET DAY**  
There was even a black rose resting innocently on his desk.  
He remembered screaming at Wally till he was blue in the face. The poor guy looked like he peed himself and was barely able to get a word out that he had nothing to do with it.  
"SO HOW DID SOMEONE GET INTO MY OFFICE AND DESECRATE IT?!" Sammy screeched "UNLESS THE INK IS ALIVE, SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR AND WRITE IT OUT!"  
"If that's the case, then how did they lock it back up?" Wally replied"because last I checked, no one has broken into the studio, no locks were broken, no windows shattered either"  
Needless to say, Sammy stayed away from everyone after that, and no one dared to go near him lest they encountered his wrath. Even Joey Drew.  
He threw away all the black roses. Never noticing that their texture was off.

This was beginning to get rather disturbing if Sammy was honest. Over the week, he would find a new message on the wall with another black rose resting on his desk.  
Music is Life. Wouldn't you agree?  
Your music makes me happy  
You have nice eyes. I could stare at them all-day  
Sammy has a nice ass so shut up  
That last sentence was the creepiest one out of all of them. And he was not looking forward to meeting the person behind the messengers. They sounded like a stalker. He just hoped it was one of the workers. Because then he had a reason to get them fired and easier to put in prison.  
Whatever the case, that message had been on full display when he had come into the studio. He had to cover up the window and get Wally to clean it up ASAP. He had to resort to using some leftover candles until it was finished.  
And for once, he didn't complain about the distraction as he worked through the cleaning and the fact that Wally didn't say anything through the whole process.

He was certain everyone was laughing at him. There were more whispers than normal every time they passed his office. And it was beginning to get tiresome.  
That is until he heard someone say 'what the hell?' further down the hallway, followed by a few other murmurs of agreement.  
He did his best to ignore it, but it was useless when someone decided to knock against his door and claim that he had to see what the commotion was.  
"Someone has a twisted sense of humor" Norman Polk continued, the projectionist "someone has written a threatening message this time"  
"And this should involve me because?" Sammy replied without looking behind him.  
"Because it involves you" was all Norman said before leaving him alone.  
Frowning, Sammy got out of his chair slowly. What could have happened that it involved him? Besides the fact that he was their boss and was, well, bossy with everyone he met. He didn't think he had done anything to cause a commotion.  
So with this thought in mind, he walked out of the comfort of his office, and down the hall towards the department's entrance. And boy was he in for a sight.  
All of his workers were staring at a wall near the stairs that led to the animation department. But what was on the wall caused Sammy to get concerned. There was more writing, but this time it was messier, like a completely deranged person did this.  
So he pushed passed the people to get a proper look at the message, he felt light-headed.  
ALWAYS WATCHES. NO EYES. I AM EVERYWHERE  
INSULT SAMMY AND I WILL DROWN YOU IN THE INK. SAMMY IS MINE  
Sammy had to take a few calming breaths to make sure he was still breathing "this wasn't here before" and he wasn't lying, he had only been down here once to talk to one of the musicians, and it had been completely free of ink.  
Just who the hell put this here?  
"Has anyone left their work-places during this?" Sammy asked, keeping his eyes on the wall as if it would provide some clue.  
"Only me Lawrence" replied Norman "I was on my way to ask you something when I saw it, and then these guys came out to see what the commotion was, you know the rest"  
Sammy nodded, trying his best to keep the fear and quickened heart out of his voice and mind "alright, I'm going to talk to Joey about this, I suggest everyone stays where they are, don't talk, just do your jobs until I get back"  
"Do you really expect us to just go back and pretend this never happened?" someone called out "because that's not going to happen"  
"We don't know if this is a joke or a serious threat" Sammy stated calmly despite how he felt "I am going to talk with Joey to sort this out, unless you want to be kicked out of the building, you will do as I say"  
"Your a right idiot" the person replied.  
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. HISS  
Everyone practically jumped out of their skins, some even shrieked.  
"Where did that come from?" squeaked Susie.  
A sound of rattling could be heard, like someone trying to break out of their cage. Then silence.  
Sammy's voice sounded cold and lifeless "Norman, get Wally and Tom to check the pipes, we might have another rupture if we aren't fast enough"  
He barely got the sentence out when Norman ran as fast as he could to find the two.  
"All of you, be careful with what you say and do, I don't like this as much as the next person but something really messed up is going on and I don't like it" and for him to say that really put everyone on edge.  
Sammy had always been a stickler for rules and logic, so for him to take this seriously wasn't the issue. It was the tone he was using and the way his eyes looked around the walls as if someone was going to jump out at them.  
"Back to your work, now" with those words, Sammy bolted for the stairs and out the door, leaving everyone paranoid and scared.

Sammy didn't care if anyone saw him biting his knuckle as he marched towards Joey's Office. He had other things to deal with.  
Like what the hell was living in the pipes? He had known something was off the first time he heard it, and now with other people hearing it, he could easily cross it off as his imagination and stress.  
Could this banging have something to do with what Joey was doing? It was no secret that he was becoming obsessed with 'oppesing the gods' for 'something greater' and some other bull crap.  
But if it wasn't Joey, then what else could it be?  
No, he couldn't think like that right now, he had to focus on what was on the table. Something was living either behind the walls or in the pipes and seemed to be defensive of him when people 'attacked' him.  
How could he tell? Well if the wall writings and 'compliments' were anything to go by, then when the trumpet player complained about going back to work as if nothing had happened, the hiss and thumping started, as if it was trying to escape.  
Joey Drew had to do something about this otherwise everyone could be in danger.  
He brushed past anyone who tried talking to him until he got to the office door. He had to hold back the urge to storm in as if the devil himself was chasing him. So instead, he gave it three shaking knocks and barely registered the 'come in' as he rushed to get inside.  
He felt like someone was watching him, and he wished he was feeling paranoid.  
When he entered the room, he was shaking, looking close to passing out, and looked like he was swaying on his feet.  
"By the gods Sammy, are you all right? You look like you haven't eaten today" why the man showed 'concern' was beyond Sammy at this point.  
"There's something-" he stopped for a moment to clear his throat when it croaked, now was not the time to look like a crazy person "someone has been writing threats on the walls of my department, then there was a thumping noise coming from either the walls or pipes followed by a hissing sound"  
"Now Sammy, I understand that you are not happy with the upgrades to the place, but this is going to help us in our success," he said sternly.  
Sammy did not stop the gawking expression from appearing on his face "Drew, my entire department heard the noises, and NO ONE left their areas until the words were written"  
"You know how people are, jealousy can do that to us" the so-called man leaned back in his chair "however the threat thing I am willing to sort out"  
"They are both the problem" Sammy continued "I don't know what crap your pulling Joey Drew, but if this keeps up, people will quit faster than you can say 'sheep, sheep it's time for sleep', so you either do something about all of this or you will find half a department short on staff"  
With that said, he turned around and left, slamming the door behind him. He was going to be working late as 'punishment', but he didn't care. His crew came first as far as he was concerned. Sure they could be a pain in the neck and incompetent to work with, especially when he was in a foul mood. But they didn't deserve the risk of being hurt.  
And if he had to suffer the wrath of the beast, then so be it. It was just a pity that in his frustration, he never saw the blank wall that once held the threatening message.

It came as no surprise to him when Joey to his office and state that he was staying longer because of the 'false accusation of death threats'. He just accepted it and continued his work as if he hadn't done this song and dance before.  
And so, many hours later after the Studio was nothing more than an empty one, Sammy was still sitting at his desk and finishing the final notes needed for the episode. With only Wally and his occasional whistling for company. Even if it was bad and distracting.  
Placing the pencil down, he leaned back and stretched as far as he could to the point some joints clicked from the lack of movement, Sammy's reply was to grunt and sigh in the content of having to move after so long.  
He picked up the papers and placed them in the case he used for his work, locked it, then picked it up along with his banjo and made his way for the door. Trusting Wally to lock it up before he left for the night too.  
He walked at a leisurely pace until he reached the stairs entrance of his department, his leg just about to move down towards the first step when it happened.  
THUNK!  
Sammy grunted, gravity in motion and stopping him from grabbing onto anything to help with his fall. With the sound of something hitting wood, his body felt bruised and battered, and the pounding in his head rang through his ears, his limp figure lying at the bottom of the stairs as he felt something wet trickle down the side of his face.  
"Another one...get...oth...."  
He couldn't hear anymore after that, the ringing and pain in his body became too much and he passed out.

**I could have saved him, I could have saved Sammy. Why did they do that? Why did they hurt him? They hurt my Sammy... I'll make them pay.**  
**No one can hurt my sanity. My Sammy. No one.**  
**I ' L L M A K E T H E M P A Y !**


	5. Pain Leads To Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norman learns more about Sammy than he needs to. Plus the pipes seem a little. Off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have no idea what I what doing when I made this chapter. Just go with it please XD AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!  
> Also bear in mind that while there are no racial slurs in this chapter, it is implied. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Norman prided himself in knowing what bumped in the night/darkness that was known as Joey Drew Studios. So to have himself get caught unaware was a massive strike to his ego.  
Although he supposed he would have to focus on that another time. Since right now, he was currently tied up both hands and feet, with a raging headache and that annoying ringing noise that felt like his ears were about to be blown off. And he was certain he could hear talking if the mumbled words were anything to go by.  
"Stop talking. One of them is waking up" hissed a voice.  
Okay, they were definitely people, but Norman certain they were not people who worked in the building. As far as he remembered, since it hurt to think right now, there hadn't been any new. And furthermore, how the hell did they get inside the building without getting noticed? Wait, did they hurt Wally?  
Blinking harder and squinting around, he was able to make out five black and blurry shapes in front of him, one leaning down to look at him.  
"You IDIOTS!" Norman turned around in time to see what looked like the leader slap one of his partners on the cheek "these aren't Joey Drew, their hairs are completely different colours and length AND DREW IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT LIKE THAT THING!" he pointed towards Norman, and he didn't need to be a psychic to know the goon was talking about his skin colour.  
"And that other one is Sammy Lawrence, in charge of the music for this stupid place" he hummed as he examined the projectionists' face "maybe this can work to our advantage" he got and turned to his group "keep an eye on them, I will be back soon" he ordered them as he walked out of the room.  
By this point, Norman's ears had finally stopped ringing and his vision had come back that he could see where he was. The goons were leaning against wooden beams on opposite sides of the walls, a speaker right above them. And they were all wearing black clothing. Robes to be exact with hoods that blocked out their faces.  
And after looking around the room. He could say for certain that while he hadn't been in this room much, he knew without a doubt this was the dance room.  
"I think you hit the guy a little too hard mate, he looks a little blank" one of them chuckled.  
"Last I checked, his kind didn't have any brain" another one cackled. the other followed suit.  
Norman paid them no mind, he was too busy looking around his spot to see if there was anyone else with him. And he was proven correct. Because a few feet on his left was Sammy, with what looked like a mixture of dry and fresh blood going down his temple. He was obviously alive otherwise they wouldn't have tied him up. The only problem was that he wasn't awake.  
Norman silently prayed that the man didn't have a concussion. He may not be a big fan of the musician but even he didn't deserve this. No matter what his temper was like. He also silently prayed someone would come to find them. More importantly, he hoped Wally was okay.  
"Last I checked, Joey Drew didn't ask money from shady goons" Norman replied calmly, eying the floor where the goons feet were "you are clearly not robbers otherwise you would have left by now, so it begs the question, what are you really here for?"  
This got the others laughing "ya here that boys, the BEEP thinks it's smart" he sneered and loomed near the bound man "and here I thought your kind were only good for being-"  
He was interrupted by Norman shifting his leg and kicked the man hard enough that he lost balance and fell backward, clearly, his clothing wasn't good for this kind of injury.  
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Norman asked calmly, trying really hard not to smirk at the fact he just one-up the man.  
His answer though was a punch to the jaw, hard enough for him to get dizzy and nearly fell to the floor. He was able to keep his balance though and only grunted from the blow, he had worse before. But that was definitely going to bruise.  
"What the hell are you two doing? And why are you on the floor?"  
"Stupid thing knocked me over"  
"Then don't get close to him next time, idiot, now go and guard the door" the leader kicked the fallen person before looking at Norman, glaring "Joey or not, they will make a great sacrifice to the gods"  
"Oh great, another Drew" groaned a voice from his side, it was Sammy "I've had enough crazy cultists for one day thanks"  
Norman had to hand it to Sammy, he was really good at not letting things bother him. He just hoped it would last through all of this though.  
"Crazy cultists he says" the leader murmured "Sammy, you make music for that demon, your a man of music so you should have the brain to be open-minded, yet you threw it away for someone like Drew and that demon"  
Norman could practically 'hear' the eye roll "oh spare me the whole Bendy being a devil incarnate, I've heard so many times it isn't funny" he narrowed his eyes towards his captives "and spare me the whole 'I'm a musician so I should be open-minded' crap, you already tried that on me before"  
Before? So Sammy knew these idiots before he worked here? No, he couldn't think about this now, and it didn't matter what Sammy had done in his younger days, all that mattered now was getting out of here.  
"Why Sammy, why did you forsake the gods of creativity and purification? You used to enjoy it, remember the good ol' days?"  
Sammy snarled "that was 'before' you decided to go jump in the deep end and swim with the sharks, and I love music as much as the next person, but I don't let it control my life"  
Norman wasn't sure if he should believe that was a load of crap or not. Sure you should take your job seriously, but Sammy seemed to take it a little too far most of the time. Although he supposed that if you had someone like Joey Drew breathing over your neck, you would end up like that as well.  
Then again he took his job as the projectionist seriously too, so he should be a hypocrite to complain about Sammy.  
He was shocked though with what came next. The leader kneeled before Sammy and held his face as if one would do to a spouse. He could practically see Sammy recoiling at the touch and shaking in. Was that rage or fear in his eyes? And he was starting to get pale. Norman secretly wished it was from the blood loss.  
"Soon you will see Sammy, just how much we've changed" the leader cooed "so. Much. Stronger" he gave Sammy a gentle pat on the cheek before tracing his thumb over his lip.  
Big mistake, as Sammy opened his mouth and bit down as hard as he could when the leader was able to pull it out while cry in pain, Norman was able to see blood dripping down the man's teeth and mouth. What creeped him out was the fact that Sammy was grinning. At least until the leader had enough sense to get up, grab some metal pipe, and smashed it on the injured side of Sammy's head, knocking the man onto the floor, alive and still conscious.  
But if he didn't think of something soon, Sammy might not get out of this alive.  
_THUNK! SCREECH! HISS!_  
Norman jumped and looked up towards the sound. The. Cultists? Doing the same thing. Two of them were mumbling under their breath and wondering what the noise was. The noise continued, followed by the sounds of rattling. And sloshing?  
Were the pipes going to break? Oh god, were they going to drown in it?  
"I don't know what's going on in your bosses mind, but it will not be tainted for long" he turned to the others "go and see what that was, this place must not be tainted"  
Two of them nodded and ran into the darkness. The leader turned back to the two bound men on the floor.  
"Are you just going to leave Sammy to die?" Norman snapped "he needs help"  
"He never understood what true art was even when we were teens, he deserves no mercy from me" the leader replied cooly.  
Norman felt like scoffing, as everything began to crash onto him like a cartoon anvil "mercy? Do you call this mercy? YOUR A PSYCO THAT SHOULD BE IN THE TREATMENT CENTER!"  
He received a punch for that.  
And that's when the speakers turned on. The feedback was obvious. But Norman was certain he hadn't seen anyone enter the door on his left.  
**Sheep, sheep, sheep. It's time for sleep.**  
The voice, however. Sounded like there were a million voices speaking. Male and female. As if in pain. The leader was looking up with fear on his face.  
**Rest your head. It's time for bed.**  
Sammy was unfocused but could hear the singing, if he didn't know any better, he could have sworn he heard his voice.  
**In the morning you make.**  
Two black tendrils burst out of the pipes and grabbed the remaining cultists.  
**Or in the morning.**  
The pipes burst and ink flooded the area. No one had the chance to scream.  
**Y O U W I L L B E D E A D**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, this is the last one I plan to do for a while. Don't I am still making them. I'm just going to try and space them out more. So for now, enjoy these pieces while I try to get a plot made properly made for this XD  
> And thank you to all those who gave me a kudos


	6. Inky Floods And Promises Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ink beast starts to understand the dangers of being a squishy human.

If he had thought the writing on the walls was bad. This was straight up f*cked up with a sprinkle of 'what the f*ck' moment.  
Right now, Sammy had his eyes closed and holding what little breath he grabbed before the ink collapsed on them. Wondering how in the blazes he got into this situation in the first place. Besides the obvious.  
 _Sammy?_  
Was he fading? Was Norman calling him?  
 _It's an honour to finally meet you Sammy. I'm a. Big fan of your work._  
This was definitely not Norman. He began to lash out, hoping to find something to get him out of this watery prison, only find out that it was futile as his hands and legs were still bound together.  
 _What are you doing? What's wrong?_  
What's wrong? He couldn't breathe. He needed air or he would die! And this voice was asking what was wrong?  
 _Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. Give me a moment, this is my first time moving around out of the tunnels._  
A faint noise and sense of gravity kicked in. Sammy felt his lungs burning from the lack of air.  
 _I promise Sammy, I will not let anyone hurt you again. Not even myself. Rest, you're safe._  
Bubbles left his mouth and everything seemed to get darker.

No. No. No. NO. This wasn't supposed to happen. You only meant to teach those attackers a lesson. Now, look what happened. You nearly killed your music man.  
You struggled to control how much of the ink-filled the room, forcing it all towards you. Somehow. You weren't sure what you were doing. All you knew was that you needed to get the ink away from the two humans that had been bound. The man you were certain was called Norman may have been a little rude to Sammy before this all happened, but he tried to save Sammy from that goon. The least you could do was return the favour.  
Plus it might seem suspicious if he mysteriously disappears.

Norman began coughing out ink the moment he was able to, retching and taking big lungs of air that his lungs had been so desperately craving. Shaking his head, he tried to move his hands. Only to find out they were still bound. Blinking his eyes, he was momentarily shocked when he saw that he had no ink in his eyes.  
As in he had just washed his face and no mess clean.  
But that didn't make any sense, he was certain he had been hit by a huge wave of ink. How could he not have any on his face? Or his eyes? He quickly looked around and saw that the whole place had ink remnants in some place, the ink that had fallen was nowhere to be seen. The pipe had even closed up as if it had never blown up, to begin with.  
Wait, he was missing someone "Sammy? Are you okay?" crap.  
Cough and splutter was his reply. Oh, thank god he was okay. But how the hell was he going to get out of this?   
HISS  
What? Norman quickly looked around until he saw something move from the door. And against his better judgment, he called out.  
"Please, could you help us?" he wheezed, his arms were hurting from their hold and he could feel his legs go numb.  
A strange sound filled the silence, a hiss, and shifting. Like something was sliding on the boards. A snake? Impossible.  
"H-he-p?" a rasp voice spoke, neither male nor female, and a form started to appear from the shadows.  
Norman looked towards the sound and paled, mouth open in horror as he lay in fear of what was in front of him.  
An inky looking form of a snake moved towards him, tongue flickering and everything. All Norman could think was 'oh my god this is how I die'. He closed his eyes and waited for death to take him.  
Except, instead of waiting for the kiss of death. He was met with a nudge on his foot.  
"H-he-p" it repeated again "S-sa-m-me" it nudged his foot again.  
Norman had to look between his feet and the creature a few times before it finally sunk in. It was trying to help him? Not kill? It hadn't killed him yet. So maybe? And Sammy?  
"Can you cut this rope?" without cutting his feet in the process "you need something sharp though, and small enough for the rope and not my feet"  
The snake shifted, and behind it, Norman could see the 'tail' shift into something sharp and solid. Was that an axe? No. More like a dagger. And it moved the 'weapon' towards his feet.  
"WAIT!" he cried out, but it was useless.  
The creature made a swipe at his ankles, cutting the rope with one motion and leaving it in threads. It did the same for his hands.  
Norman could practically feel the blood rushing back to his wrists as he moved them to his face and rubbed them softly, he made a mental note not to make the creature angry or get on its bad side in the future.  
He turned to look at Sammy, calling out his name for a response. He didn't get one.  
"Sammy? You okay there?" still nothing "crap, Sammy wake up" he pushed aside the aches in his joints and got up on shaky knees, wobbling over to Sammy's un-moving body.  
He placed his fingers over the man's neck and let out a sigh of relief when he found a pulse. He leaned slightly closer to Sammy's mouth and heard fain't shallow breaths.  
"Can you do the same for Sammy? But more gentle?" he asked as he lifted his head back up.  
"H-hel-p Sa-me" the snake replied, but this time it sounded more, softer, gentle.  
Norman watched as the snake lifted its tail, and with a gentleness, he hadn't seen before. It cut the ankle's rope before cutting the ones on the wrist when Norman moved Sammy for easier access.  
"Now we just need to get him back upstairs"  
His answer was to be wrapped up by the beast's tail along with Sammy. Then it proceeded to move at a pace that would be considered sprinting for a human, out of the room.   
Norman wasn't sure if it was his imagination. But he could have sworn he saw two big, black lumps leaning against the wall on the floor. He stayed silent anyway.

It was certainly harder to navigate around the building, the pipes were a little simpler. None the less, you succeeded in navigating your way to the top of the studio. Your music man. Sammy. He was still sleeping, he hadn't woken up. The only thing that eased your worry was when. Norman was it? Yeah, Norman. He didn't look scared when he checked on Sammy. So you could only assume the sleeping man was okay. But he was still bleeding red ink, not a lot, but something.  
And something told you that you would have to let them leave. But why? Couldn't they stay here? There was an infirmary here, Norman could use that to help Sammy. Right?  
"Could you put us down here please? Gently"  
As if you would drop them from a great height, that would hurt Sammy, and you didn't want to hurt him. Intentionally anyway.   
You made sure Norman's feet touched the ground and was holding onto your music man before loosening your tail around them.  
"Um. Thanks for the help, I guess" Norman said as he held onto Sammy more securely.  
"H-hel-p g-goooo-d" you knew you were going to be busy learning words after this.  
"As nice as it was that you helped us, I need to get him to the hospital"  
A what now? "NO! hel-p he-er" you wanted your music man close, not somewhere else.  
"I can't help him here, there's nothing here that can help him, and he's still losing blood" the man paused for a moment "he'll die if he stays here"  
Die? As in sleeping but never waking up again? No. That can't be right. You were sure the infirmary had everything they needed. But he was still leaking the red ink. And Norman looked pained. So it was possible Norman was telling the truth. Grr. What could you do?  
"S-sta-ay g-go-en?"  
Norman shifted as he tried to re-adjust Sammy who was leaning on his shoulder "yes, he'll be. Gone"  
"Go. GO! S-say-v Sa-me"  
You watched them leave through the main door and out of sight. Your form now beginning to shiver and run at the thought of losing your music man just seconds of getting this form. You begged to whatever being that made you that Sammy would be okay. You don't know what you would do if you lost him.  
Sighing and giving the door a final look. You turned away and slithered down the halls. Making sure not to leave any traces that you had been there and not damaging anything towards your location.  
Sammy's Office. The only place you ever saw him with his guard down. And the one place you ever felt safe.  
You didn't feel tired yet, so you decided to practice your speech more in the sanctuary that was your music man.

**Norman promised to help Sammy. So I will trust him. Please, music man, get better soon.**


	7. Sammy. Safe. Norman. Good

Norman barely got any sleep that night after taking Sammy into the hospital. Thoughts and memories plagued him and the adrenaline that had been pushing him forward had finally worn off.  
Although sleeping in the hospital didn't help matters either. Considering both of them were covered in dried ink, the nurses had to keep them in for fear they had ink poisoning.  
He pushed himself to go work after they found out he was safe. Sammy though had a concussion and some of the ink had gotten into the cut, so he would be indisposed for a few days until they were certain he was safe.  
And if everything last night was real. He really hoped the ink creature wouldn't kill him.  
On second thought, he hoped no one saw the damage that happened last night. And the bodies.

He had quickly gone to his house and changed his clothes, he was already late to get in on time, but he knew he needed to hurry and find that creature before anyone noticed.  
He even risked speed walking his way to the studio. He ignored the stares some people gave him, he was used to that.  
However, when he entered the building, he was surprised to see everyone was acting. Well, fine, there was no panic about anything.  
Did they already know about Sammy? Did they see the mess inside the dance studio? Ugh, he needed to find Joey and fast. He quickly punched himself in and walked as calmly as he could towards Joey's Office.  
"Morning Norman" Norman nearly jumped out of his skin when the voice came out of nowhere, turned out it was just Susie Campbell "are you all right? You look a little pale"  
"I'm fine" he was pretty sure his brain stuttered like a projection for a moment "have you heard about Sammy?"  
Clearly, she didn't as she looked worried "no I haven't, what's wrong?"  
"There was an incident with the pipes last night, Sammy got caught in it and injured his head, he's in the hospital right now because they found ink inside his blood system" not a complete lie but not the truth either.  
Susie looked a little pale as well "thank god you were here and found him than Norman, I dread to think what would have happened if you hadn't"  
"What about Wally?"  
"He called in sick, got a nasty case of the flu or something"  
Norman couldn't stop his sigh of relief from escaping his mouth. At least Wally wasn't in any trouble. And his heart could now stop trying to jump out of his chest.  
"Are you sure you're all right Norman? You look even paler than before"  
"I'm fine, I just thought Wally might have been caught in the crossfire" different reason but it wasn't a lie.  
"I guess that's true" Susie looked down for a moment before looked up with her bottom lip caught in her teeth "do you know when Sammy will be released?"  
"Not for a few days at least, why?"  
"No reason" she seemed to do a double-take "I mean, he is the music man, we need his songs otherwise we won't make progress, but I am glad he is as well as can be"  
Norman frowned "right, well, I need to go see Mr. Drew, have you seen him come in?"  
"He should still be in his office, I don't think he's doing any meetings today"  
With a final thank you, Norman picked up his pace and rushed towards Joey's Office. After that. He needed to find you. To see if last night wasn't a dream.

You had been waiting in the projection booth in the secret ink you had gathered early this morning. After waking up in your music man's office, you had looked through all the doors until you found a bucket similar to one that the janitor always used, filled it up with ink, and then took it with you onto the top floor of the Music Room.  
You heard people coming into the room, but you never saw Norman coming up into the area you were now. Maybe he was at the place that would make your music man better?  
You briefly considered going into the pipes to see if he was hiding somewhere else. But you decided against it, you could hear more than a few footsteps both inside and outside the room, just a simple stretch from the booth to the pipe could risk you getting spotted.  
So, you were stuck playing the waiting game.   
For a whole hour.  
"Have any of you seen Mr. Lawrence at all?" you perked up from the talking "I haven't seen him enter the building, or anywhere in the building today"  
"You didn't hear? Apparently, there was an accident last night" someone replied "he got caught in a burst pipe and had to be rushed to the hospital for ink poisoning"  
Ink poisoning? But you were made of ink. Wait. Could you have got ink on him when you...  
You nearly burst into a crying fit. Oh Norman, you better be telling the truth that he would be fine. Because it was clear these humans didn't know.   
And just when you thought your hopes were going to fall even lower, you heard more footsteps. Coming straight from the stairs. And there was only one person who dared set foot here. Or two.  
Norman was here.  
You waited for him to look in your direction before making yourself known. Raising your head out of the bucket slowly so as not to jump scare him.  
The man did a double-take when he saw you. And he seemed a little pale. You think.  
"Okay, so you were real last night" he whispered, low enough that only you could hear him "last night wasn't a dream and Sammy really is in the hospital" he slumped as he sat down.  
You frowned mentally. Hospital? What was that? Was that where your music man was now? To get better?  
"Sam-me. Safe?" despite your practicing, you still had a problem speaking. At least you weren't stuttering anymore.  
It took Norman a few seconds for him to reply, it irritated you "oh, yes, Sammy is safe. He uh, he has to stay in bed for a few days, make sure he is okay for work"  
"Was. Ink. P-poi-son?" that was a new word, you would need to test that later.  
Norman frowned "I guess you heard then" he sighed as he shifted "yeah, he has ink poison along with a concussion, he'll be away for a few days" he repeated.  
"Con-cus-son?"  
Norman repeated the word "it means he hurt his head" he pointed to the side of his head for emphasis "it can be treated, but if I had left him here with no one with the knowledge to know what they were doing, he may not have woken up at all"  
Know-ledge. Thinking. Learning. You had none of that, and from what Norman was and had tried to say, he didn't have it either to look after Sammy if he had stayed here. He really would have slept forever if he had stayed here.  
Your trust in Norman went up.  
"Good. Nor-man?" you forgot what humans say.  
"If you're trying to say, thank you, then don't mention it, I never turn down a friend in need"  
"Fur-end?" what was that?  
"It means people you get along with, I think, someone you trust and are willing to help each other out no matter what the outcome"  
You barely understood all of the words he just said, but what little you did, you liked it.  
"Fur-end, No-man. Fur-end Sam-me" you felt pleased with your improvement of speech.  
Norman made a weird smile "sure, we're your friends, just, be careful when you're around Sammy, he can be really grouchy and rude to new people"  
Oh, you knew what your music man was like, it didn't put you off one bit. You just give him a nod though, no need to worry about that.  
"Fur-end. Hel-p?"  
"No offense, but I don't want your ink near the machines, that could damage them, and then Drew won't be a happy person" he tilted his head "but your welcome to stay here and watch, just, try to stay quiet okay?" he made a shushing gesture "we don't want you to get taken away now, you wouldn't get to see Sammy"  
You looked at him wide-eyed. People would stop you from seeing Sammy? You couldn't have that. Maybe you could- NO! bad you. That would make Sammy and Norman sad, and you don't want to see your friends sad. You want them to be happy.  
"Sh" you repeat the gesture of sound and sunk lower into the bucket until your head could see just over the bucket, watching him work.

**Norman told truth. Norman good. Norman help Sammy get better. Norman friend. Now I wait for Sammy to come back. I can wait.**   
**I have a new friend. A second friend.**


	8. One Step For Man...

You stayed with Norman for the rest of his time there. Staying quiet as you had been told. Sure it was a little boring, especially since you could no longer move in the pipes, but this was a new experience for you, it was new, fresh.   
Plus this would help you when the time came to meet Sammy for the first time. Properly, and not because of some bad humans trying to hurt him.  
You supposed there were some other odd ways to introduce yourself. You decided to leave it at that. Instead, you focused on watching Norman fiddle with the. Pro-jec-tion. As he called it. Mentally taking note of what he was doing for future use, and questions.  
Although he did look in your direction every so often, you weren't sure why. Maybe he was still recovering?  
You would need to ask about that another time.

When the time came for everyone to leave the building, Norman stayed behind since Wally was still sick. He used this as an excuse to try and communicate with you more.  
Apart of him wanted to forget this ever happened. Apart of him wanted to forget about the incident with those lunatics. But given the fact that Sammy was in the hospital (Joey Drew had called the hospital and it was confirmed), and that the small snake, ink looking creature had been watching him the entire time during his work, he knew this wasn't some stressed work dream he had before.   
This was real, the creature had, possibly, killed five cultists the night before. It was intelligent, a fast learner. It could speak but mainly broken English, but it clearly wasn't stupid, and for now, acting and possibly thinking like a child. At certain points anyway.  
This was a big risk, but he had to know what you were like and make sure you weren't a threat to the studio and to Sammy.  
He couldn't live with the guilt that he let a creature sneak around the place and kill innocent people. Even Joey Drew.  
So when he was certain everyone had left, he ran straight for his booth, where the creature was still hiding in the bucket with a little of its head poking out.  
"Okay, it's safe to come out now, no one is here," he said calmly as he sat down.  
"I can?" it asked, lifting its head slightly.  
"Yes, it is, don't worry, I made sure no one was around" which was the truth, and he hoped he would never have to lie unless it was necessary "you can lift your, um, head, up more"  
Not a second after he said that, the creature lifted its head up higher, revealing a more cobra-like head and body. Like one of those snakes that poked out of a woven basket when playing a tune with a flute. Except this one was made of ink.  
He could think of only one question that seemed like a peace offering "you say I'm your friend, but I don't know your name, do you have one?"  
The creature tilted its head "name? Like Sam-me and No-man?"  
"Yes"  
"I do not have one"  
Oh. "Well, would you like one?"  
"I would like one from both my fur-ends...please" it added as an afterthought.  
Well, this was going to be tricky "well, what if I give you a fake one for now until Sammy comes back? To make things easy"  
The creature tilted its head again as if considering "fake. Not long. Wait for other fur-end. Okay, I have fake name" it sounded pleased "please"  
Now Norman had to think of some random name until Sammy came back "how about, Odessa? It's the name of a black flower" and the only thing that came to mind.  
"Od-es-sa? O-des-sa" it repeated the name again, this time Norman was certain it was smiling "nice to meet you No-man, I am fake name O-des-sa"  
Norman almost chuckled "don't say fake name, just Odessa"  
"I am O-des-sa" the creature, now Odessa, bobbed its head with each syllable it made.  
"Nice to meet you Odessa, my name is Norman" he allowed a small smile to appear, mentally pleased that, for now, there weren't any problems "are there any questions you want to ask me?"  
"Ques-ton. Ask. Hmm. Is Sam-me al-ways. r-r-u-d?"  
"Rude? No, mainly grumpy, he's just got a lot of pressure to make the music for the cartoons" that was an understatement.  
"Pre-sure? Car-toon?"  
This. Was going to be a long night.

He lost track of time as he explained everything about the studio that came to mind. Shockingly, Odessa, listened without complaint, occasionally asking what certain things were. But other than that, they listened. Patient.   
A part of him wished all children were like this. It also made him forget just how dangerous this creature could be.  
"Sam-me make moo-sic. I like moo-sic" Odessa stated after Norman took a break.  
"Music? Yeah, I can understand that, everyone loves Sammy's music, the guy may have a temper, but he knows his stuff" his throat was killing him from all this talking.  
"It was the first thing I heard when I woke up" it shifted as if making a thinking face "when I first woke up, I was cold and empty, it was dark. I did not like it" it shivered as if remembering "but then I heard something, it made me warm, I went back to sleep to its lovely sound" Odessa looked at him "I heard his moo-sic, and then the second time I woke up, I heard his voice, I felt more warm. I like warm. I want more"  
Norman stayed silent the entire time. Sadness and pity filled his insides. This creature, just one day 'woke up' out of the blue and fell in love with Sammy's music and voice? If he had been told this before, he would have laughed and make a joke about it.  
But that was then, this is now. And he couldn't help but pity this creature. And be reminded of what it was capable of. If this creature liked Sammy's music and voice, then there was a small chance they could be a little too. Excited when they met the man in person. And he was not looking forward to it.  
"Then, may I offer you some advice when you do meet him?" he would need to word this very carefully so that they could understand "Sammy is a, tricky person for everyone to talk to, he prefers the quiet, and likes to stay alone in his office. If you wish to speak with him, do not sneak up behind him and make a loud noise, don't appear in random places to speak either"  
This time, Odessa was leaning forward in their bucket, as if leaning onto every word he said.  
"I don't like quiet for too long" the creature admitted after a few seconds "but I will do as you say, I do not want him sad, I want him happy"  
"Keep those words in mind and you will" he finally got up from his position, already feeling his legs tingling from sitting down too long "now, I have to go home and sleep, don't worry though, I'll be back in the morning, okay?"  
"Pro-mis?"  
"I promise, like last time Odessa, do you want me to help you out of the bucket?"  
"No, I am fine, thanks, you rest, have more things to ask later"  
For the first time since he entered the place that morning, Norman left with a smile on his face and felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.  
Now he just had to worry about Sammy's reaction when he came back.

**Friend nice. Friend made promise. Good. Sammy, I hope to see you soon.**  
You move back into Sammy's Office and place a black rose on his desk.  
 **Rest well. My music man.**


	9. ...One Giant Leap For Disaster

The moment he stood outside the doors of the hospital after however many days it was, Sammy felt a momentary peace he had not felt in a long while. Norman had been checking up on him from time to time and gave him progress on what was happening at the Studio.  
Including the temporary musician who was making a good deal of botching up the music. Which Sammy knew he was going to give the person an earful.  
But he couldn't help but wonder why his face seemed a little, shifty. He had tried asking him about it, but Norman kept his mouth shut on the subject. And then his eyes would pierce into his own as if to say 'not now'.  
He didn't know what that meant, but he was determined to find out when he went back to work. For now, though, he had a home to go back to and rest up. Before he was once again thrown into the lion's den that belonged to Joey Drew.  
But the one thing that hurt him the most, was that Susie had not visited him once since he was stuck to the hospital bed.

The next day, Sammy had made sure that he was clean and well-rested before his march towards the nightmare. He stood outside the main door for a good few seconds before he entered the building, and already his ears went into overdrive over the loud noises of the main room.  
Along with the many exclaimers of workers when they realised who it was that entered the building, they began barging him with questions on if he was okay to work.  
He decided he should be grateful. It was clear that he at least still had a job, something should have occurred to him after he left the hospital, or should have asked Norman about it. But judging by their happy expressions and questions, he decided to just push it to the back of his mind. After all. How many people could say they had a second chance in these troubled times?  
Leaving that question for later, he pushed past everyone who was trying to invade his personal bubble. But it didn't last long when he heard the voice of the one and only-  
"Sammy, I'm so glad to see you're doing well, I hope" and there was the devil himself.  
"Hello, Drew" Sammy replied tiredly. Great, not even in this building for a minute and he was already feeling the mental drain of a long day of work "as much as I would like to stay and catch up, I have songs to write, they don't write themselves you know"  
Joey made a joyful 'HA!' and slapped Sammy on the back hard enough that he almost lost his balance "true dedication, that's what I love about you, Sammy. I knew there was a reason I kept you around"  
 _Besides me being the only one that can put up with you?_ Sammy sighed mentally _Where's an axe when you need one?_  
"Nice to see you again, keep up the amazing work" as Joey left, Sammy liked to imagine the little devil himself running after him with a pitchfork.  
He had to hold back the laughter that was threatening to escape. No need to give the people any concern about his 'health'.  
He pushed past everyone and made his way to the Music Department. He had work to do and one Norman Polk to talk to near the end of the day. His memory, for the most part, was fine if a little hazy, and a mess. More so than it already was.

He still found it creepy to see everyone looking at him with a smile and saying they were glad that he was alright. He was used to seeing them either running away from him or rushing past him to avoid eye contact. He wasn't bothered completely. Although he did hope to find Susie at some point so that they could talk.  
He and Susie had been secretly dating since the building's reconstruction, and while they had been to keep everything behind closed doors, there were some people who seemed to know the truth. Both had agreed to keep everything personal outside the workspace.  
It didn't stop the occasional flirt, wink, and sneaky kiss every now and then.  
"Sammy?" speak of the angel "Sammy, oh my god I am so happy to see you again"  
He barely had time to turn when he was suddenly engulfed in a warm hug from his girl.  
His girl. Was she even his girl to begin with?  
"Sammy, I only heard yesterday that you were being released from the hospital, I am so glad to see you here again" she sniffled slightly "are you okay to work?"  
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't Susie" Sammy replied softly, giving her a pat on the shoulder before pushing her off of him gently, she could be a handful sometimes.  
He still cared about her though.  
Once she was in eye contact with him again, she continued "well considering you survived an ink pipe burst followed by ink poison, I'd like to think this would be called for some concern"  
Not my fault that my past came back to haunt me Sammy thought, but he verbally replied with "my office, now Ms. Campbell"  
That sensation came back again, someone was watching him. That sentence he gave Susie was code for 'someone's coming'. She didn't need to say anything as she gave him a nod and followed him all the way to his office.  
The few people that did encounter them just gave him a nod of acknowledgment and carried on with their walk. To which Sammy was grateful. For now anyway.

The second he shut his door, Susie wrapped her arms around his own and began to kiss his cheek down to his chin a few times.  
"Hiding in your office? Reminds me of the old days" she chuckled seductively before letting go, backing up slightly.  
She seemed completely unfazed at the fact that Sammy had completely frozen up the second she had hugged him from behind. He had to suppress the shiver when she started kissing him.   
"Last I checked, we did nothing of the sort Susie, so please keep your hands to yourself while we're on the job" Sammy snapped quietly in case anyone was outside.  
Susie shrugged as Sammy turned around and moved towards his desk, freezing up when he noticed something.  
"Has Wally been in my room at all during my absence?" the room was warmer than his voice that promised pain.  
"Wally was off on the day of your accident" Susie informed him as she leaned against the wall "he somehow caught the flu, he's still off work now"  
"Did Joey hand the keys to anyone else to clean up?"  
"Someone in the Music Department, but that's all I know" she tilted her head as she moved away from the wall "why is your voice promising death?"  
"Because someone left things on MY desk"  
Susie looked to where Sammy was gesturing. Sure enough, there was a black looking rose and a single sheet of paper lying innocently on his desk. She moved forward, picked up the paper, and read its contents, feeling a mixture of caution and admiration for the person who was bold enough to do this.  
"Aww, should I be jealous that you have a secret admirer?" she decided to tease him a little.  
"What are you talking about?" he tried to look over her shoulder before she held it up for him.  
"Someone left a lovely note for you" she tapped it lightly on his nose before he snatched it from her hand to read it.  
The words once again looking like a child had written them. The contents were 'I heard you were coming back today, I am so happy to know I did not hurt you from my accident'  
Sammy frowned, accident? Unless this person was talking about the pipe burst, which was highly unlikely. He could not think of any other accident he had gotten in.  
"Was anyone with you during the pipe burst?" Susie continued "besides Norman?"  
"I don't know" he lied "I only vaguely remember Norman being with me when the pipe burst, I hope to talk to him about it after work"  
Susie handed him the black rose and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek "I'll leave you alone then, don't hurt the newbies too much"  
Sammy snorted as he let Susie move past him and left the room. Leaving him alone with the note and the flower. Finally. Peace before midday.  
Giving the window a final glance, he sat down in his chair before taking a proper look at the 'flower' in question.  
At first glance, the flower looked normal, save for the black colour. But as he held it up into the light, he noticed there was an odd shine upon it. As he traced his free hand on the stem, he noticed that it was smooth, too smooth for common flowers. Then he traced the petals. He noticed that there was no rough texture that he was used to seeing and feeling when he handled the flowers he occasionally gave to Susie.  
He gently placed the flower back onto the desk before tapping his finger against the wooden surface. Just who was this person, that dared doing something like this? Were they connected to the writings on the walls? The writing was definitely similar, he would have thought it was a child playing a prank. If it wasn't for the fact that children were not allowed in the studio. Ruin the magic and all that.  
He shook his head at the thoughts, he could worry about this stuff later when he had a talk with Norman. Right now he had some music to fix. But seriously? How bad could it be?

His hair practically looked like Einstein who got electrocuted by cable, a stingray, and an angler fish. His headache was already back and his eyes looked ready to turn the nearest person to stone.  
The last musician was so incompetent that the music was literally all over the place. HOW THE HELL DID JOEY DREW PAY SOMEONE LIKE THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?!  
He had to start all over again just to save this pile of crap.  
Elbows on the desk with his head in his heads, teeth-gritting together like a saw on wood. Sammy counted under his breath to stop himself from having a mental breakdown before he could run over to Joey and smack the guy into next week.  
It didn't help when more people began to make their appearances and make the corridors noisier than they needed to be.  
He slammed his hands on the desk and was about to shout in frustration when he noticed everything went completely silent.  
Closing his mouth, he turned his head back towards the window. There were people still moving, he could see them talking. But there was no sound coming from their mouths.  
For a second, Sammy thought he had walked into a silent movie. Which was stupid in of itself. Maybe this place was finally getting to him.  
He lifted his hands back up, and the place was swarmed with noise. He placed them back down again. Silence.  
He looks down and notices that one of his hands is touching the flower.  
Am I really experimenting with a flower when I should be making music? Sammy thought.  
Giving the roof above him a 'why me?' look, he turned back towards the flower.   
He lets go. Noises. Touches it. No noises.  
He continued the cycle like a kid with a new toy. A part of him was still refusing to believe this was even real. Then when he finally had enough, he snatched it up and held onto it like a lifeline.  
Pure silence. Quiet as the grave. His sanctuary had been restored. At least until he let go of the flower. He didn't care that it looked stupid. He had been desperate for a quiet sanctuary. And he didn't care if it came from mistake mumbo-jumbo.  
He could worry about the possessed flower another time. Right now, he was safe. He could rest just a little...

"Sammy? Sammy wake up"  
"GAH!" Sammy jolted out of his seat and crashed onto the floor "what the-?"  
When he finally got his bearings, he realised it was Norman who had tried waking him up.  
"Sammy, are you sure that you're okay?" Norman asked in concern.  
"Why shouldn't I be, I only had a little nap" Sammy groaned as Norman helped him up and back into his seat.  
"Sammy, you've been asleep for the entire day of work"  
Sammy felt like doing a cartoon version of eyes-bulging with a draw drop "WHAT!" he shrieked "HOW THE HELL DID I SLEEP FOR THAT LONG?!"  
Norman held his hands up in surrender "I'm just as confused as you are Sammy, people saw your head on the desk but didn't try going in for fear of your wrath"  
"They didn't tell Joey did they?" crap if Joey found out then he might as well kiss this job goodbye.  
"No, I managed to convince them not to, I explained that you were still recovering from ink poison, so you were bound to still be tired from time to time"  
Sammy let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, and practically sank into his seat "thank you" and for once, he meant it.  
"Do you think we should hold off on the catch tomorrow? I don't mind waiting"  
Sammy shook his head, silently surprised that he felt more. Well. Rested "I'm fine Norman, I'm just as surprised as you are that I slept for that long, didn't realise I was that tired" not to mention that his headache was gone.  
He rubbed his hands when he realised that he had slept with a flower in his hand. He looked around on the floor before seeing his desk.  
It was still there, still lying innocently next to his papers.  
"Didn't you say you were going to show me something?" he asked, not taking his gaze away from the flower.  
"I was, but are you-"  
"If you ask me one more time I will shove your head in the projection myself" well at least it wasn't one of the more colourful threats he had used before.  
Norman looked at him with caution before nodding his head "okay then, but I strongly advise that we move this to the music room and that you sit down before you meet" he shifted in his spot, looking awkward "this person is... responsible for your accident and wants to apologize in person"  
This made Sammy raise both of his eyebrows at the man. He had found the one responsible for the pipe burst just like that? This guy had to be keeping a secret. But what though.  
"Very well then Norman, but only because I managed to get a decent amount of sleep"  
This time Norman gave him a big smile "of course Sammy, now, since I am the one in charge of locking up for the night, we are going to be the only ones in the building, the person I need to get is currently hiding for. Reasons, so while I'm getting them, why don't you go grab some of the leftover snacks and wait in the music room"  
Sammy grumbled but did as instructed.

He had waited for a good 10 minutes, sitting on one of the chairs with a stale sandwich. It tasted horrible but it was better than nothing he supposed.  
His leg though betrayed his anxiety and tension. Whoever this person was would have a lot to answer for, for the destruction of private property. That, and he needed to ask them if they had any knowledge of who those creeps were.  
And if they knew those goons were related to him. He would send them to the police.  
"Be careful, and don't rush, he's already going through enough stress without more being added to it" came a hushed voice of Norman Polk.  
Sammy frowned. What could Norman be saying to the one that wouldn't push his wrath to a whole new level?  
He opened his mouth ready to ask Norman that, only to freeze when he came by alone. And was holding a bucket of ink?  
"Before you say anything, yes, this is what I was talking about" Norman interrupted before Sammy could say anything.  
Sammy clamped his mouth shut before gesturing to Norman as if say 'the stage is yours'.  
Norman lifted the bucket up to his face "remember what I said okay?" he said softly before moving forward to place the bucket a suitable distance near Sammy.  
At first, nothing happened. But then Sammy noticed the bucket started to shake.  
And Norman wasn't anywhere near the bucket.  
 **Sammy. Music man. It's so good to finally meet you.**  
Sammy paled when he saw something rise up from the bucket. It looked like a cobra.  
 **I hope, that we will become such good friends.**  
The cobra shook its head slightly before looking at Sammy properly.  
"Hello. Sam-me. Law-ence"  
Sammy felt himself pale even further.  
Why did the snake sound exactly like the voice he had been hearing from his dreams?  
 **Best friends. Forever.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea how hard it was to make this part XD  
> If you like long chapters though then sorry but they may not always be this long.  
> I hope you guys enjoy this for a while because this drained all the creativity that I need a refill XD  
> LOVE YA!


	10. Awkward Meet. Light and Dark Teamwork

You couldn't believe it. Here was your music man in front of you. But he didn't look happy to see you. Did you mess up the instructions that Norman said to you? No, you couldn't have. You had done everything you could to ensure that nothing bad would happen.  
Perhaps it was simply because he had never seen ink moving like you were? Norman had mentioned that as well. Hmm. This was going to be tough. But you got this far. You could be patient a little more.  
"Norman?" oh, his voice sounded even better in person "are you seeing what I'm seeing?"  
"Am I seeing a grown-ass man pale at the sight of a living, talking entity made of ink? Yes, I am" Norman did something odd with his mouth.  
Was he being rude to YOUR music man?  
"Of course I'm paling, it's made of ink. Ink is not meant to move on its own" Sammy replied, but he looked really angry.  
"Their name is Odessa, Sammy"  
"Hey, I thought both you and Sam-me were giving me one" you cried out "you pro-mis-d"  
"I'M WHAT NOW?! What am I, a parent?"  
"Sammy, calm down and Odessa, we will, but we need Sammy to understand what's going on before we do anything"  
You pouted but nod. You don't want to make this worse and make him leave.  
"Is this thing responsible for nearly drowning us? What if they try to do it again?"  
That. Really. Hurt. Seriously, it felt like someone had shoved you in a really cold place that had no warmth at all. You didn't mean to hurt them, you were just upset those people in black hurt Norman and the music man. Mainly the music man.  
"Not my fault" your voice quivered as you ducked down slightly "I was upset, I wan-ted them to stop. Hur-ting. You and No-man"  
This caused him to blink at you "I can't tell if your lying"  
"If they were lying, then why are we the only ones to have survived that pipe burst" Norman paused "actually, what did happen to those people?"  
"I. I don't know" you bowed your head "I just wan-ted them to stop hur-ting you" you perked up "but I can go look" maybe this would make him happy.  
"You mean you never went back to check on them?" Norman asked.  
You shook your head "no, I have not"  
"If you have left them lying around, people would have noticed" Norman stated "so we can only assume for now that they are hiding somewhere, or you somehow. Absorbed them"  
"I can't ab-sorb " you replied "only ink" you remember trying to absorb the men in black, they tasted funny. That was why you threw them away before checking on Norman and Sammy.  
"Does that mean you were the one who wrote those stupid messages on the walls? And who kept giving me those flowers on the desk?"  
You were certain your mouth would be smiling as wide as that Bendy character "yes, I am. I did not like how they said rude things to you. I thought me say-ing nice things would make them stop. As for the flow-ers" you ducked your head "I thought they would make you happy. I just wan-ted to make you less grum-py"  
Sammy just stared at you. Then looked towards Norman "Polk. Can I speak to you alone for a moment?"  
"Shouldn't we ask them to find the bodies? Would save time"  
"Should we really leave it on its own?"  
"I trust them"  
"I don't but go ahead, don't expect me to save your ass tomorrow though"  
You wanted to cry. Your music man didn't trust you, even with you telling the truth. But. Norman did say that he was like this all the time. Maybe you had to try harder again?  
"Could you help me get out of the bucket? Please?" you asked Norman.  
"Can't you grow bigger with the ink in there?"  
"I do not want to make anyone un-com-for-ta-ble"  
Norman crouched down and held his hand low enough for you to climb in yourself. Once he was sure you were secure. He lifted you out and helped you onto the floor. You say thank you before moving as best you could out of the room. It was difficult, but you managed.

Norman watched the creature leave the room. He wanted to snap at Sammy for making the creature feel bad, but the guy did have a point. But at the same time, he was wrong.  
"Don't be hard on Odessa Sammy, they didn't ask for any of this" Norman stated as he gave the man a hard stare.  
"Why Norman? Last I checked, it wasn't our fault that the pipe burst" Sammy glared.  
"And it isn't Odessa's fault they are the way they are" Norman took a step forward towards the musician "you didn't hear what I heard coming from their mouth Sammy, that creature is no different to a child that was thrown into a world of sadness, depression, and desperation" he took another step forward "have you noticed how they speak and word things? This creature is intelligent sure, but it has the mental capacity of a child and we are the only ones that can keep them stable right now"  
Sammy snorted as he rolled his eyes "enlighten me then Norman, how that could be true?"  
Norman began counting on his fingers "They woke up in darkness cold and lonely, then they felt warmth when they heard your music, when they heard your voice they felt warmer. When they saw your appearance and how grumpy you were, they were both sad and infatuated with you that they did everything they could to make you happy, from the writings on the walls, yes including the threat, to the ink flowers laid on your table-"  
"Wait, stop there for a moment Norman" Sammy interrupted "those flowers were made of ink? That creature said that?"  
"They didn't say it outright but where else could the flower come from? This place doesn't have flowers" Norman shrugged.  
"Point taken" Sammy crossed his arms, shifting on his feet and thinking "they really said all that? When I was in the hospital?"  
"Yeah, I didn't want to believe it, but how do you explain a walking, talking snake made of ink that practically saved our asses down in the dance studio?" he paused and looked at Sammy a little harder "speaking of, who were those people? They seem to know-"  
"They were people I knew in my younger years and went as crazy as Joey is right now" Sammy interrupted "I'd rather not talk about that"  
Norman wanted to argue, but he knew just how stubborn Sammy could be about his life, so he just nodded and moved onto something else "if you don't believe the things I have mentioned about Odessa, your welcome to ask them, they will be more willing to speak with you than me"  
"I thought it liked you"  
"Only because I was the only one who could save you from the concussion you had, they knew nothing about human health and had to trust me with you, I'm pretty sure that if I had been like those guys, Odessa would have drowned me too"  
Sammy paled "thank god it didn't because I do not want to explain this all to Joey"  
Sammy's translation 'I'm glad you're still alive'.  
They stayed like that before Norman cleared is throat "so..."  
Sammy rolled his eyes and sighed "fine, I will try to tolerate this creature, but don't don't expect a miracle"  
"I think the only thing you need to worry about is Odessa asking about the instruments and how they work, if they love the music then it's likely that they'll ask for either what it does or how to use one"  
"If they are capable of not damaging them as well as fix them I don't care" Sammy shrugged "that also includes not staring at me when I work"  
"I pro-mis Sam-me"  
Both men jumped and looked in the direction of the voice. The snake looked ridiculous, The body that was most likely it's stomach was about the size of the piano, and it's tail end looked comically small. How it was able to move like that was beyond them.  
They would have laughed if the situation wasn't serious. And clutching their hearts as if it was going to jump out.  
"How did you get here so fast?" Sammy asked as he clutched his heart.  
"The pipes, one moment, I have to get them out"  
Before they could ask what that meant, you regurgitated five bodies on the floor. They didn't have any ink on them, so it didn't take long for them to realise that it was the cultists. And they didn't appear to be breathing.  
"Well now, what do we do? We can't exactly bury them out the back" Sammy asked.  
"What about the police?" Norman asked.  
"Hello, officer? Yeah, we found 5 bodies hiding in our studio, all of which died from ink poisoning that came from a living, breathing ink snake" Sammy replied sarcastically.  
Odessa was certain a light bulb appeared above Norman's head "wait, that might work"  
Sammy looked at him as if he just grew another head "Projection man say what now?"  
"Think for a moment, it's not uncommon for the pipes to burst now, and there's been proof that people have been injured from the pipes or contracted ink poison, we could make it look like a burglary gone bad"  
Sammy looked at him as if he had just grown another head "are you insinuating that we stage a burglary death?"  
"It beats finding some random location and dumping them there, plus it would take ages to find a place for 5 bodies at this time"  
"Point taken"  
"Odessa, do you think you can make a pipe burst or move the ink?"  
"I can ab-sorb ink, not sure if I can tell it what to do" Odessa slithered towards them "but I am tough, I can ab-sorb the ink to make me bigger, and stab pipe, tell me place and I will go"  
"Joey's Office" Sammy blurted, he was met with two stares "Joey more likely has something in there that's valuable, plus there's no way they would get further down, some places don't have keyholes"  
"You just want to get back at Joey"  
"Guilty as charged" he smirked, and Norman didn't like the wicked/evil glint in his eye either "now let's go set the stage little sheep's"

There were plenty of ink puddles that hadn't been cleaned up by Wally, so you had no problem doing his work for this. And you no longer had to sit in Norman's hand as they walked, you could easily keep up with them now.  
You made sure not to have too much, just enough to keep up with the humans and to reach the pipes without any help from the fleshies. And so that you could carry the corpses with no trouble and looking like a cartoon in the process.  
To quote Sammy. "It was foolproof Norman, so shut the hell up and keep walking".  
You had never laughed so hard in your existence. You still have no idea why. But you didn't care, he made you 'laugh'. A positive emotion. It was nice.  
And the 'job' was pretty simple. Aside from finding a pipe that was near Joey's Office. None of you had any trouble 'setting the stage'.  
And after everything was finished. Sammy actually SPOKE to you 'not a bad job, if I wasn't with you guys, I'd almost say that was the work of a real ink burst'. When you had asked Norman what he meant, he replied with 'that's his way of thanking you and saying nice work'.  
Your smile reviled Bendy's grin. And your body nearly liquified over your 'warm feeling'.

"So now that's out of the way, shall we head off home?" Sammy asked "need as much sleep as I can get before I have to come back to this hell hole"  
You wanted to complain about your name and to stay longer, but sleeping was required for them to heal, Norman told you so. So you stayed quiet  
"I'm not sure on Sammy, Odessa, but I'll see you in the morning alright?" the projectionist asked as he got his coat on.  
You let out a hiss without realising it "I will Nor-man. Pro-mis"  
Norman elbowed Sammy lightly in the side and made a nod towards you. You didn't know why, must be another one of those silent human talks.  
"Oh, right. See you tomorrow Odessa, and try not to leave any messages on my walls again, or flowers" with that, he left the building.  
"He's starting to like you" Norman stated "just keep up with what I said and he'll warm up"  
You believed him. You still believed him.  
Oh, how naive you still were.  
**Work slow. Last longer. Work fast. Live little. Music man, I hope we last longer. Joey sounds bad**  
_Interesting. How interesting. Such. Knowledge_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case anyone is confused on the whole 'reader can't absorb' thing. They can't do that yet, and the 'belly' is like a giant sack, they 'ate' the crooks and kept them in the 'sack' of their 'belly'.  
> that or they don't digest them and have to hold back the urge to throw up until they got to the humans XD  
> Up to you.


	11. Suspicions and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy finally has the time to think things over. Norman is as happy as can be...  
> Y0U 4R3N'T 410N3!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have just seen how many Kudos and Hits I have... *starts to sweat and stutters* n-n-no p-p-pressure eh?
> 
> In all seriousness though, thank you all for these things, I'll try my hardest to continue this story.

Needless to say, word got around about the 'failed burglary attempt' when Wally, who had finally recovered from his illness, opened up the building and did some light cleaning before everyone came to work. Found them lying in ink under the broken pipe.  
He had immediately warned everyone, including Joey. Who then told everyone to stay away from the area while he sorted out 'damage control'.  
Some people raised eyebrows but immediately did as they were told. Some were whispering why they were still working when a death/crime had been committed right under their feet.  
Sammy, was shockingly the first one to speak up "Joey wouldn't pay us for a day off and haven't you noticed crime rates have been going up but nobody is bothered? Just grin and bear it as the saying goes"  
Nobody talked about it after that. Especially when they noticed a small smirk on Sammy's face every time he walked past the corridor that led to Joey's office. If they didn't know any better, they would assume he had something to do with it.  
That or he was in a really good mood because smirking was not something he did, or smile for that matter.

As for you. You were currently hiding in the projection booth in a bowl of ink, you don't know how, but you managed to remove the extra ink from your body to reduce your size.  
Now the reason for why you were in a bowl. The janitor named Wally Franks, still a very odd name when you thought about him. Had taken the bucket you once sat in and used it for cleaning up YOUR ink.  
But you didn't complain, you've seen humans slip on the ink before and you did not want your new friends to get hurt.  
At least no one would be suspicious if Norman had a bowl of 'black stuff' sitting on his stool.  
He even continued to teach you about things, certain objects you still couldn't understand, the human strengths and flaws (there were too many for you to count, but you still thought of Sammy and Norman were perfect). Heck, he even taught you new words and what they meant. And he helped you understand more of why Sammy shouldn't be disturbed during work hours.  
And speaking of work, you stayed respectfully silent when he needed to do his job. Which wasn't a lot so it gave you both time to talk and learn.  
Norman was nice, but he wasn't your Sammy. Still, at least you weren't bored watching all the humans sitting around drawing all day.

The only downside now that Wally was back, was that Norman and Sammy could no longer stay to 'tidy up' the place. Sammy watched as Norman said to the ink creature, now known as Odessa for now, that it would be best to wait a few days, for the 'heat to die down' before he and Sammy tried to stay after hours.  
Well, unless Joey wanted them to stay anyway. And they were not going to ask unless the man said it himself.  
The music composer rolled his eyes as he watched the projectionist talk to the ink snake like it was a child. Kind of, he was using 'big words' like usual but immediately began to break it down for the creature to understand.  
He grabbed his stuff, clocked out, and then left, not even bothering to say goodbye. His mind was running a hundred miles an hour of everything that had happened during the week.  
After his first encounter with the ink snake and faking the burglary. The day had finally caught up to him when he had arrived home and had a mild panic attack. Not just from the creature, but from a past he had tried to bury in the sand.  
Now though? He entered his house, sunk into his sofa, and pulled out the ink flower that he could not bring to throw away. Why? He had no idea either. Perhaps it was because it finally gave him the 'cure' for him to continue his work in the silence of his office. Maybe he was lonely? Pff. As if.  
Looking at the 'flower' as if it had the answers to everything in his messed up life, he began to think back on what Norman had said and what the creature had mentioned as well.  
He wasn't a man who wore his emotions on his sleeve, hell he never showed them to anyone at work or off the clock. But that didn't mean he was heartless, he gave respect where respect was due and tried his hardest not to jump to conclusions, at least when he wasn't on the clock anyway because Joey was always the reason behind everything, the was the one thing he and his co-workers could agree on.  
So as he looked at the flower and thought about everything Norman had stated about the creature's birth. A part of him was amazed that such a. Literal. The heartless creature was capable of creating something a rose, a small part of him hoped that the ink creature could find true happiness.   
And that it didn't come from him.  
He had Susie Campbell, a beautiful opera singer with the voice of an angel. He had been smitten over her the moment she sang to prove she was capable of working here. And the fact that she was willing to date someone like him? He swore his heart had stopped working after she had agreed to go out.  
So yes. He did hope Odessa would find happiness and the warmth that it clearly was in desperate need of. But they really had to get over the idea of being infatuated with him. That stuff always leads down dark and twisted spirals of madness that he had tried to put past him when he was younger.  
He also hoped you never found out about him and Susie too.   
And speaking of Susie. He had to get ready for a date in 2 hours.

After saying goodbye to Norman, you looked around the main room in slight wonder. Unlike last time where you had been tired constantly, or wanting to sleep to skip the day so you could meet your new friends. You were now looking forward to looking around the place with no limitations.  
Besides Wally's 'whistling' anyway.   
So that's what you did. Wandering the place with only the sound of 'Wally the Janitor's' faint whistling for company. But what was different from before, was that you didn't have to hide at all. Wally was making noise that you could easily avoid, people had stated they had seen Joey leave the building, and other than Wally having to clean up, no one else was allowed to stay late unless Joey said so.  
It was foolproof. And this time you didn't get to rush it like those other times. Or when you 'dozed off' as you slithered towards Sammy's office.  
And just like before, everything looked bigger and different to when you had been living in the pipes. Especially with the size, you have at the moment. You didn't want to risk drinking ink and getting caught by Wally.  
As you continued your journey to look at the building, a few questions would pop in your head as you thought about Sammy and Norman. Then they would disappear when you found something new in the rooms.  
Eventually, though you ran out of places to search, and there was at least one hour left before everyone came back into work. So you decided to go to the last room you hadn't looked at yet.  
Joey Drew's OLD OFFICE.  
You hadn't known he HAD an old room. Why was it here further down the building? Was he hiding something from everyone else? What could be in there?  
Without any hesitation, you phased out of your physical form and slithered under the door, re-adjusting once you succeded.  
Then you heard a thud ahead of you.  
Once you saw who it was, you tilted your head in confusion.

**Who. Are. You?**   
_What. Are. You?_


	12. The Living Shadows

You couldn't say anything. You were completely stunned by the creature in front of you. He was certainly taller than you, and while he had a similar posture when compared to a human. You knew this creature wasn't human at all. The ink covering his body was further proof of that. And the occasional drop falling from his arms. But why was a creature inside this room? Is it stuck? Was it waiting for someone?  
"What. Are. You?" it asked again, the voice that was deep, raspy, and most certainly a male voice. But it sounded nothing like your Sammy.  
"I am ink. What are you?" you replied. He certainly looked intimidating since your form was small and no bigger than a human's foot.  
"I. Am. Ink. Like. You"  
What? "You mean. I am not the only one?" was he born from the darkness like you?  
The creature nodded, then it knelt down so you didn't have to strain yourself much "were. You. Made. By. Joey. Drew. Too?"  
Joey Drew? The loud-mouthed man that put stress on your Sammy? You shook your head "I was not 'made' by Joey. I just. Woke up"  
The creature tilted its head as if confused, its face showed that it was incapable of changing expression "what. Do. You. Mean?"  
So you explained everything to him. How you just woke up in the darkness and swirling tunnel. How you heard Sammy's music, his voice, the warmth. Even mentioned Joey's loudmouth. That got a chuckle from the creature, although it sounded weak. A wheeze if you remember Norman's lesson correctly.  
You told him every single detail from when you first woke up. Not leaving any detail behind. Maybe he could help you understand yourself more. He was an ink creature like you, surely you both should stay together. A new friend that was just like you.  
"You. Have. Had. Quite. The. Adventure" he said after a moment of silence "I bet"  
Your head was like an over-excited dog "oh yes, things were bad at first. But I made friends. I met my moo-sic man"  
"Mu-sic" he corrected "but. Why. Are. You. Small? Were. You. Born. Snake?"  
"No. I was born with no form, then I was in the pipes, then out-side them, I wanted a form I could han-dle sim-lar to when I was in the pipes, this was it" you use your tail to gesture at your form "I know how to make myself grow, but not change form"  
"A deal. Then?" he leaned close so that he was leaning on his hands "I teach. Form. Change. You. Give. Time"  
"Time?"  
"With. Me. I am. Lonely"  
"Why would you be lonely? Do you not have friends like me?"  
The creature shook its head, it seemed sad "saw. Joey. And. Other. Stare. At me. Called. Me. Mistake. Soulless"  
You would have cried if you could. Do those mean humans called him a mistake? And soulless? That was terrible. No creature should have to suffer and be bullied like that. Plus he could teach you how to change your form. Sammy would have to like you and be nicer now.  
"I'm soul-less, too. You are my new friend. Promise"  
The creature purred "we. Learn. Now?"  
"Yeah, I don't need to leave until morning, that's when the humans come back again"  
"Tell. Me more. As we. Train?"  
"I can't wait to tell you more about my friends, you'll like them, and we can all be friends"  
You felt like jumping, you wanted to hiss in delight at the thought of showing your new friend with your other friends. Plus now you had someone to talk to when the humans left to rest. This was perfect. You couldn't wait to tell them in the morning.  
"Train. Now" he stood up "talk. Later"  
Right, these thoughts can be thought of later. Right now you needed to learn how to change your form. This would be perfect. More human form meant more time with Sammy. Maybe. Definitely not when more humans were walking around.  
You pushed all those thoughts aside and began to listen to your new friend talk. Wait. You never asked him what his name was.  
"Um. I'm sorry but, I forgot to ask your name, it would be rude to call you friend when I do not know it" you say politely "and I never gave you mine" you smile "my name, for now, is Odessa, what's your name friend?"  
The creature slapped his head as if he too had forgotten that, he wheezed a laugh as his hand fell from his face "nice to. Meet you. Odessa. My. Name. Is..."

A shadow stood outside the office as the two creatures talked. Wondering in silence on who the voice belonged to.  
_I knew the monster is inhuman. But I didn't think it was insane as well_  
It gave the door another look, then it turned and left the area, faint footsteps echoed the area before fading into the darkness.  
**Tomorrow was going to be challenging. But soon. Everyone will know the joys of HIS creation.**

Norman came into the studio with a smile and humming one of his favourite tunes. There was a bounce in his step and everyone watched him, thinking what he could have done last night to have made him go into a bouncy mood.  
Sammy looked the same, but he seemed less hawk-eyed than yesterday, but they labeled it as a 'Sammy mood'. It didn't stop Norman from his 'good day' though.  
However as the day progressed, Norman began to get a little worried. When he didn't see Odessa in the bowl, he didn't worry too much at first because he believed they were inside Sammy's studio. It wasn't until during break and the man admitted that he hadn't seen the ink snake since last night, that Norman began to get worried.  
The only thing keeping him from running around like a headless chicken to try and find you. Was that no one was running around screaming 'SNAKE' or 'THE INK IS MOVING'. Plus you could easily be hiding in the pipes and watching them from above for all he knew.  
He wanted to stay after work, but he knew he couldn't in case Joey found him and get Odessa locked away for some sick experiment. If the guy wanted them to give him items to appease the gods, what else did the man want? What was he capable of?  
And that is why, after having a near hour battle with himself, he finally decided to go against his own rule, and stayed late at the office, offering to give Wally a second hand. The man still looked a little pale, so it gave him a good reason/excuse to watch over the poor guy.  
Wally seemed overjoyed to have someone help him "this will make things easier, I still feel like I'm going to keel over" he chuckled "if your okay with mopping up the music department and lock Sammy's office up, I do not want to him shouting at me when I'm like this"  
Ah yes. Wally always lost his keys for some reason, if it weren't for the fact that he was actually good at his job, Norman would have thought Wally was dropped on the head when he was a baby.  
He grabbed the extra bucket and mop and then made his way to the music department, if Odessa wasn't there then he would check the other places.

He silently began to panic. He hadn't seen you anywhere during the cleanup, were you hiding in the pipes? Surely not, you didn't like staying in there for too long. Maybe you had been-  
"No-man? Is that you? Why are you here?"  
He almost dropped the bucket and mop in shock and relief "I offered to stay and help Wally clean the place up, where have you been? I haven't seen you all day" when he finally looked at you, he had to do a double-take "is that really you Odessa?"  
He didn't whether to run or scream. You looked like a demon spawn. A human torso with the head and tail of a snake. What were they called again? Oh yeah, Naga.  
He noticed you smile "it is me No-man made a new friend, he's just like me"  
Norman paled even further, there was another creature like you? How? Where did it come from? Where was it now?  
He gave Odessa a weak smile "that's great Odessa, your finally making friends"  
The creature smiled, it looked fake "he's been teaching me how to look human" you looked down at your body "I am still learning though, I hope I am not making you un-easy"  
Uneasy doesn't begin to cover what he was feeling right now "I admit it looks, odd, but practice makes perfect, you'll get better with time"  
You practically deflated at the statement "that's good to hear No-man" there was a pause and you immediately perked up "oh, but I forgot to make you meet my new friend, he is lonely, no one wants to meet him" you slithered towards him "do you want to meet them?"  
He felt like he was being intimidated by your appearance, but then, he guessed it would be better if he agreed, better to get it over and done with. Didn't stop his stomach from jumping into his mouth though.  
"I can't stay long okay? Just a quick hello and then I have to go back to cleaning up"  
The creatures head nods like a happy dog "I promise No-man, follow me"  
Norman followed the creature into the old office that once belonged to Joey Drew. He had only been in here once, back before the place was renovated. This place felt creepier when no one was around.  
"Is this. One. Of your. Friends?"  
"He is, he is the first one and who saved my Sam-me"  
Norman looked around but couldn't see anyone. Where was that voice coming from?  
"No-man, I want to show you my new friend"  
A black, dripping shadow formed at the back of the desk, slowly taking form as it got taller, skinny limbs formed followed by noticeable lumps of bone. For a moment, Norman thought that this creature was one of the cultists from the aftermath.  
It wasn't until he noticed the familiar grinning smile that he turned pale as he realised what this abomination really was.  
"This is my new friend..."  
Norman felt gravity take over as the last word rang through his ears.  
**Bendy**

_Knowledge is power. Faith and belief are powerful tools. Why does no one appreciate my creations? No matter. Soon they will know. Soon they will know._  
_The Joy of Creation_


	13. Learning Of The Final Push

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where I'm going with this now XD please bear with me.  
> For now, though, enjoy.

Your time with Bendy, your new friend, was just as precious as the rare moments you spent with Norman and Sammy. Sure you were still upset that they couldn't stay past work hours, but that didn't stop you from wishing for them to stay.  
Sure, you occasionally, went to visit them, but only for a few minutes before going back to Bendy. Sammy was still giving you the cold shoulder but at least he didn't try removing you as he did with others.

After the incident with your form with Norman, as well as your introduction to your new friend, things seemed to be going fine for the most part. But Norman told you not to show your new form until you got it right, as well as keeping your new friend a secret. You wanted to lash out at him for that, but he told you that half-human creatures would send everyone into a panic that would most likely take you away from Sammy. And your new friend could be taken away too.  
And if there was one thing that made you feel anything, was the thought of being taken away from Sammy. Your music man. Your sun.  
Y0uR S4n1tY  
You especially didn't want your new friend, the only one who could understand what it was like to be ink and soulless, to be taken away as well.  
"Is something wrong, friend? You've been quiet for some time"  
Oh, right, you were currently resting after a long night of morphing your form into a more humanoid shape. For some reason, your face was the hardest thing to shift. Bendy didn't seem bothered about it, so you guessed this must be a normal thing for him.  
Odd that you haven't seen him shift yet. At least he could speak properly this time and not pause with every word. Poor thing.  
"Sorry Bendy," you say calmly "I'm just missing Sammy"  
"The one who makes you warm" he stated.  
"Yeah. It hurts when he isn't here, I miss his music too"  
"I must admit, I miss it too, although I prefer the silence more"  
"Why?"  
"Because everything is either too loud or too quiet, I can never seem to find the balance"  
"I do not like the silence, after being around so much noise and warmth, anything that is cold or quiet sends me into a panic and running towards Norman, Sammy, or a corner"  
Yeah, you finally managed to get the words out correctly thanks to your new friend, you just haven't had the time to show it off with your flesh friends. You were certain they would be proud of this new development.  
"You will see them soon enough little one" he placed a hand on your head, ink slightly runny from the stress "you just have to be patient"  
"I know" you gave him a real smile "I've waited this long to gain Sammy's trust, I can wait a little longer"  
He poked your cheek "and don't you forget it, little void"  
You have no idea why he kept calling you that. Even after you repeatedly kept telling him to call you Odessa. He just rubbed his hand on your head and repeated the phrase or nickname as he called it.  
You wanted to be angry with him, but every time he touched you, you couldn't get yourself to tell him off as you had done with those people who hurt your human friends. Speaking of them.  
"Bendy, is it a bad thing to hurt people when they hurt people you care about?" you asked timidly.  
"I don't know. Little void" the ink creature replied with no hesitance in his voice "you are the first friend I have" he paused a moment to tilt his head as if thinking "but I don't think there's anything wrong with it, if they hurt you, you should reply back in kind, why should you and your friends suffer when they get away with it?"  
You supposed that was true, but thinking back on what your friends felt, especially when they got caught in your ink, you felt all of their emotions, their memories, hell you even watched their faces pull in fear just as you collapsed the pipes to remove the black clothing people. You didn't want them to keep looking at you with that look, even if you were protecting them.  
"I do not want them to run away from me" you admitted weakly as he stroked your head in a way that made you lean towards it "I want them to like me by their own choice"  
Bendy made a light, wheezy chuckle "I don't understand the meaning of choice, I was never given that option. I was just made, only to be seen as a monster, a mistake" he leaned down towards your ear "soulless"  
You would have shivered if you felt fear. Instead, you just sat there as he leaned back and continued his actions of stroking your head. Almost making a purr sensation a few seconds into doing the motion. You just let him do it, even if it made you a little uncomfortable.  
You would have preferred Sammy doing this.  
"Whatever the choice though," he said quietly after a few minutes "I'll stay by you no matter what, little void"  
You smack his hand and throw a glob of ink at him. He just laughs and retaliates.  
For a moment, you felt lighter. Happy.

You continued to practice with your form. Trying your hardest to make it as human as possible for your friends to feel comfortable with. But it was going nowhere.  
You were slowly beginning to lose hope of ever being 'normal' by the 'flesh bag' standard.  
"Perhaps," Bendy said after you flopped down in exhaustion, hand under his chin and arm crossed in a thoughtful pose "we are going about this the wrong way"  
"How could I do that?" you asked as politely as you could.  
"What exactly do you think when you shift your form?"  
"Only that I want to look more human"  
Bendy shook his head "I have seen only two humans during my time, and they both had different appearances, different hair length and colour, eye colour and don't get me started on their face shapes"  
You think back on Sammy's and Norman's face shape. You remember Sammy's face looked more, pointy, compared to Norman's face.  
"If that's the reason, then how am I going to make a face from so many forms?"  
"Mix and match?" Bendy shrugged his shoulders "all I know is that you need to experiment with what type of face you want"  
You frowned and began to think, as you tapped your new but still adapting fingers against your snake tail. If this was the right thing to do then you were going to need some 'inspiration' from your human friends.  
Or maybe. You didn't need them at all. Maybe you needed something more... out of this world as the loudmouth Joey Drew would say.  
"I'll be right back Bendy, I need to go check on something" you promised before shifting into a tendril and shifted under the door.  
You move with determination towards the only room you could think of, moving into the pipes and going with the flow. And then decided at the last second to have a quick check on Sammy to see how he was doing.

He was sitting at his desk like normal. The occasional hum coming from his mouth, the tip of his pen tapping against his mouth in thought. And those lovely eyes and eyebrows scrunched up in a way that implied he was thinking with complete concentration.  
You were certain that if you jumped out and said 'hi', he would have jumped out of his chair and act as if his heart had jumped out of his chest.  
And then came a knock at the door.  
You frown when the door opens to reveal a woman with strange clothing, her hair pulled back with a strange piece of thick, wide string. She also seemed to be carrying something.  
"Hello Sammy, how are you doing?"  
"What do you think?"  
She chuckled, too high for your sensitive hearing "I thought so, I brought you some food, figured you'd be busy for today"  
She places the item on the table, away from his sheets. It made you frown. She had no right to put those things on his table, his sanctuary. What right did she have that you didn't?  
Sammy grabbed one of the food items and ate it, he sighed, then swallowed his food before speaking "why are you really here? You know we can't be seen here like this"  
Then the woman did something that made your ink boil, she pressed her lips on top of his head before replying "you looked like you needed some lady company" with a weird smile on her lips.  
"Damn it, Susie, this is not the time for jokes, if Joey or even Wally find out, we'd be out of there faster than-" he was cut off when she placed a hand on his mouth.  
"Everyone is having a quick break, Joey is going crazy again" she slowly removed her hand from his mouth "they want a little taste of freedom before he hounds them to work again, we're fine for now, I was able to get away with saying you needed some food" she gestures to the tray in front of her.  
Sammy inhaled deeply before letting it out with a slow huff "alright, but you have to leave when we're done"  
You were frozen in the pipe, unable to do anything as your music man continued to talk to this... This woman. This THING. As if she was the most important person in his life.  
Why though? Why did he look at her the way you looked at him? You had been doing everything right, you listened, you learned. You tried to respect their limits.  
SO WHY WASN'T IT WORKING?!  
"I think these pipes might need a check-up, Sammy. That's the first time they've rattled in a while, and that's saying something"  
"Just ignore it, Susie, those pipes have a mind of their own and should mind its own business if it has a brain"  
Your chest felt like your tail had pierced it straight through it. Those eyes, that face. That expression. He knew you were looking at him.  
And he didn't even care that he was hurting you.  
You left him alone. Heading straight for the room that you had originally intended to go to before all this started.  
You had a cardboard cutout to check out. Fast.

 **Sammy always looks at her the same way with the cutouts with a small smile on his face, why though? Did he like her? Did he like her the same way I liked him?**  
You looked in the giant room that held those strange mini characters that humans called 'toys'. You remember being here before back when you were still learning about yourself. There was at least one board that you remember seeing.  
 **Where is it? I could have sworn it was here before**  
You continued to search, making sure to stay well out of everyone's sight. Even going as far as to blend into the giant toy's black surface material.  
"Hey, Sean. You ready for a break yet?"  
"Does it look like it?" the man sounded funny "I've still got to get this lot done before Joey has my head. Again"  
"Seriously? Your already late, what's a few more minutes?"  
"Everything you fecking edot"  
"Whatever Sean, see you in 10 minutes, maybe 15"  
You cautiously peek your head out and see two things. One of them was the human that talked funny, as he seemed to be saying things under his breath.  
But then you see the cutout. The very thing you were looking for.  
No one was around to see the thick black tendrils of ink swarm the cut-out cardboard until it was completely covering the image.  
 **This had to work. It had to. Sammy has to like me this time.**  
You thought of the image, you thought about the image on how it would work on you.  
 **He has to. This may be my only chance**

Bendy leaned against the wall with his arms crossed with a mixture of calmness and content he had never felt before when he was first created.   
Along with a small bit of irritation at having to wait for so long for you to come back. Not that he was complaining, he knew about your obsession with the composer known as Sammy Lawrence. And he knew you would do anything to make the human like you.  
It made this play all the better.  
You were naive, gullible, and way too desperate to make friends. To be cared about. To feel a warmth you never felt before when trapped in that tunnel. To be loved.  
Ugh, that word alone made his body shiver in disgust.  
Still though, he hadn't been lying when he said he was lonely. He was telling the truth. Oh well, at least he wasn't completely bored being stuck in a room all by himself.   
"Bendy?"  
Said ink creature turned his head towards your snake form coming out fully from the door.  
"What is it, Odessa? Did something happen?" he asked in concern "your voice is shaking"  
"I saw something, it made me feel wrong, different" you replied shakily "but I did what I needed to do, I have a new form, do you want to see it now?"  
If his eyebrows could move, he was certain one would have raised "you have my attention, little void"  
The snake moved until it was in a decent space, and then your form shifted.  
First, the legs formed, revealing black heels and legs.   
Your torso revealed black arms and what looked like a dress with a white bow tie.  
And then your face. And Bendy couldn't help but laugh.  
He was certain his mouth would have widened if it could.  
 ** _Things were about to get very interesting_**  
"Hello Alice"


End file.
